HMD Global, the Finnish mobile phone maker, in partnership with Indian smartphone manufacturer Lava International, is set to launch feature phones powered by Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology in India. The official announcement will be made at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, scheduled from May 1 to 4 at Mumbai’s Jio World Centre. This initiative is a collaboration with Free Stream Technologies (incubated at IIT Kanpur), Tejas Networks, and Sinclair, marking a significant step toward transforming mobile content delivery in India.
What is Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) Technology?
D2M is an innovative broadcasting technology that delivers live TV, OTT content, video, audio, and text messages directly to mobile phones without relying on internet connectivity or Wi-Fi. It leverages terrestrial TV broadcast airwaves, enabling users-especially in areas with limited or no internet access-to receive multimedia content seamlessly. This technology supports emergency alerts, educational programming, sports broadcasts, and targeted advertising, making it a versatile platform for information dissemination.
Strategic and Technological Highlights
The D2M-enabled devices will include affordable feature phones and smartphones powered by the award-winning SL-3000 chipset developed by Saankhya Labs, now part of Tejas Networks. Tejas Networks has also created a comprehensive Core Network platform to support nationwide deployment, including content delivery network (CDN) offloading and targeted ad services. This aligns with India’s ‘Make in India,’ ‘Design in India,’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’ initiatives, promoting domestic manufacturing and digital empowerment.
HMD’s Vice President and CEO for India and APAC, Ravi Kunwar, emphasized the company’s commitment to innovation and delivering superior customer experiences through this first-of-its-kind platform globally. Lava’s Executive Director, Sanjeev Agarwal, highlighted their focus on maintaining low costs while integrating D2M modems and apps into their feature phone designs, ensuring affordability for the mass market.
Impact and Future Prospects
The D2M technology has undergone extensive live network testing by Prasar Bharati, IIT Kanpur, and Tejas Networks over several years, with preliminary trials in cities like Delhi, Noida, and Bengaluru deemed ‘reasonably successful.’ Large-scale field trials are expected to commence soon, paving the way for widespread adoption. This technology promises to revolutionize the 230 million-strong feature phone market in India by providing uninterrupted access to critical and entertainment content without the dependency on mobile data or broadband infrastructure.
By reducing reliance on internet infrastructure, D2M could significantly lower content delivery costs and alleviate network congestion, while enhancing digital inclusion in rural and underserved regions. This initiative also positions India as a global leader in next-generation broadcast technology, with partners like Sinclair, Inc. supporting the vision of ‘Broadcast to Everything’ (B2X) and future 6G applications.
In summary, HMD and Lava’s launch of D2M-enabled phones marks a pivotal moment in India’s digital transformation journey, promising affordable, reliable, and internet-independent access to multimedia content for millions of users across the country.